Beautiful Darkness
by StylingEquinox
Summary: This is the prequel to Darkest Demise. It tells the story of Irial and Niall's relationship before the events of Darkest Demise that forever changed their lives and the obstacles they overcame along the way. Irial x Niall Warning: Male/Male content and an epic tale of awesomeness will ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, here's the prequel to Darkest Demise! It's the first chapter, and somewhat of a prologue, so I hope you enjoy and _REVIEW_ please! I plan on this story being just as long as Darkest Demise, if not longer.**

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It was dark and raining when Irial spotted him, lounging morosely against a tree, staring up at the night sky with eyes the color of honey. The rain seemed not to touch his pouting form, either, despite the downpour. The heavy tree branches made sure of that. _But oh, he looked so sad_, Irial thought as the male faery let out a barely audible sigh that was nearly drowned out by the rain.

But Irial could not go to him. _Not yet. _He had to stay in his shadowed perch behind the trees, out of the faery's line of sight. Hidden by a mask of shadows.

It had been nearly a week since he'd last spotted the faery boy, and he could not afford to lose him again. Not when he'd been watching him for so long. Not when he dreamt of the day he'd run his fingers through his gorgeous mahogany hair and touch his delicate skin.

_No. I cannot get ahead of myself._ _I scarcely know the boy._ But he wanted to. Oh, so badly he wanted to taste those lips, to know them better than anyone else ever had. But not yet. He had to be patient. He didn't want to frighten the boy away, didn't want to ruin his chance before he even got had one.

So he waited still. Despite the longing and sadness on the fey boy's angelic face. The boy smiled gently, as if recalling a kind memory, but then his face grew taut with pain. Something blazed in those brown eyes, and it made Irial all the more curious.

_What saddens you, my sweet?_

And then suddenly the boy's eyes were staring at something else. A mortal girl was running up to him, clutching her skirts in one hand and shielding her face from the rain with the other. When she was beneath the dry sanctuary of the tree, she looked up at the fey boy, her eyes alight with an awe Irial couldn't acutely name. The boy simply smiled at the girl, a breathtaking tilt of his lips that made Irial blink.

"I'd thought you'd forgotten me, Niall", the woman whispered, staring up at the boy with gracious blue eyes. Her hair was slick on her face, dripping down her back.

_Niall_, Irial thought. _Such a lovely name._

And then Niall, with slow fingers, ran the backside of his hand along the mortal's small mouth. She kissed the underside of his wrist. In a voice that sounded like the passing wind he said, "How could I forget you, Leiel?"

The mortal's eyes grew heavy, as if with adoration, and she slowly let out a low sound in her throat.

Irial watched as Niall slowly pulled the mortal closer to him, enveloping her in his embrace. Her face was turned to his chest, his hands on her waist. And then he tilted her face upwards, until she was staring into his eyes, eyes that were full of lust and hunger that made her teeth click together.

Without being told to, the mortal began to undress, her fingers sliding her garment from her slight shoulders until her tops of her breasts were bared. She stared up at him with hunger in her own eyes, a desire for him to accept her pulsing through her with a need. Running strong fingers along her bare skin, Niall began pressing gentle kisses along her long neck, slowing baring more of her as he did so. Before she even realized, her gown was pooled on the ground at her ankles, the rest of her body sensitive to Niall's touches. She moaned and her eyes fluttered shut when his hand slid to the junction between her legs.

Irial considered turning away at this point, thought about leaving the boy to finish without his prying black eyes. But Irial couldn't turn away, not when, in a split second, Niall had the mortal girl pinned to the tree beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist. Or when he hastily undressed and bared his delicious, smooth skin that was taut with muscle and shimmered beneath the moonlight.

Irial watched as Niall took roughly her beneath the tree, his strong arms keeping her secure as his glorious hips worked symbiotically with the rest of him. Her moans were ragged, piercing the night rain as she cried out beneath him, drowning in the ecstasy that was his touch. Long mahogany hair fell down Niall's chiseled face and over his shoulders, partially masking his expression.

Irial could hear Niall's moans as well, those velvety resounding echoes into the night. They made his throat dry.

And then Irial heard the mortal cry out sharply, Niall's name like a divine prayer on her lips. All at once, she went limp, her fingers clutching Niall's muscled back until her nails made reddened crescents in his unmarred skin.

And then Niall threw back his head and let out the most delicious sound Irial had ever heard, cutting the night air with its majesty.

Afterwards, the mortal stared up at him with a glazed expression, one of profound gratitude and desire and… love.

Irial could taste it as surely as he could the emotions of his fey. She was willing to do anything for Niall, no matter what he asked of her, no matter what the cost. Did she not see that his heart was somewhere else? Did she not sense the aloofness of his emotions towards her? Did she not understand that she was human and that he would treat her like all the others?

No, Irial realized with a start, because like all naïve mortal maidens, she thought she'd captured a faery's heart as he'd captured hers. _Silly little toys. Easily broken._

But Niall wasn't just a faery, was he? If he was, why else would Irial have been so interested in him? Enchanted and fascinated by him in ways indescribable. No, Niall was beyond anything comparable, superior to anything Irial had ever encountered in his millennia of existence. Because, like Irial, Niall was a gancanagh too.

Irial smiled.

And he didn't even know it yet. _Pity._


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter 2. Please give me feedback on this, since the plot's beginning to form in this one, whereas the last was almost an intro. I can't say much else for fear of spoilers, so enjoy and please REVIEW!**

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Niall slowly finished re-buttoning his breeches, a sense of longing soon replacing the lust that had taken him hours prior. Leiel, the mortal, was staring at him wide, doll-like eyes that disconcerted him, and she had refused to put her clothes back on, even after he himself started to redress. The still-nude mortal girl simply watched him with vacant eyes, a forlorn smile touching her small mouth. He could see the fear in her eyes as he pulled his tunic over his head; fear that he would leave her once again, fear that he would forget about her once again.

And sadly enough, Niall knew he that would. He had not meant to be so cruel, but he found that he simply could not stay in the same place for too long. There was a biting kind of shame that followed him when he stayed anchored to one place, a constant reminder that he was just alone as the mortals he bedded. That if he stayed still long enough, he would remember that he was no one. No one with a purpose.

_Ever since mother lef_- No. Niall would not dwell on that. He did not need any taking care of. He was a full grown faery who could watch after himself. Solitary and nomadic, but never pitiful. Besides, his mother had made her own decision. It was time for him to make his.

But yet, how scared Leiel looked as she sat nude in the damp soil, leaning her face against the rough tree bark. Niall wanted to comfort her, but he knew not how. She wanted what he could never, ever give her, and that was painful enough.

So instead he ran gentle fingers along her matted dark hair and gave a smile that was as insincere as his heart. "I hope to see you again."

The mortal nodded once and whispered, "I hope to see you as well." Tears laced her voice, but beneath the shade of the tree, he could scarcely see them.

Then Niall leaned down, as he was accustomed to do with weeping mortals, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Farewell, he thought dully. Then he turned away from her and stepped out beneath the tree and into the now-dry night.

He needed to get his mind off of the mortal girl behind him, needed to move one to something new so as to forget her and her tears. Niall quickly took to a dirt road that lead into the nearest village, eager to lose himself in the madness of a good fête.

And eager to find another mortal as a distraction.

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At the tavern, Niall sat at the barstool, sipping some kind of human brew that tasted faintly like tainted bathwater, but that eased the painful ache in his chest regardless. He skimmed the room briefly: There was a woman whispering something in a man's ear that made him chuckle, two surly men eying each other for a fight, a man cheating another out of a card game. None of the sights were remotely interesting.

And then Niall spotted a handsome young man who was sitting alone, trying his best not to bring attention to himself. He had a thin, angular face and eyes the color of sapphires that caught Niall's fancy. A mouth the color of strawberries formed a thin line.

Slowly, Niall leaned across the bar and tapped the barmaid's shoulder. She was a rotund woman of a healthy port with cheeks the color of rouge.

"Who is that?" he asked gently.

Her thick brows pulled together as she looked over at Niall. "Fine pretty lad like yerself donna need to be asking around at a place like this", she laughed. "I know that much meself."

Niall tilted his head, but didn't let his impatience show. "Place like this?" he asked innocently.

"Place of vice'n sinners if I do say so meself. Whores and gamblers and the lot."

"What makes you think I do not seek vice?" he asked with a wicked grin that made him look everything like the fey in bedtimes stories.

The woman looked taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, but still shook her head. "Isaac", she responded disapprovingly, catching Niall's brown eyes with her own dull greys. "But he's a good boy- ne'er done nutin' bad to no one. And I don't quite like the look in yer eyes right now."

At that, Niall smiled more reassuringly, and said to the woman, "Worry not, madam. I simply want to speak with him."

He saw her visibly tense a bit as he stood up and made his way to the mortal boy. Upon reaching his table, Niall realized that Isaac, as he was called, looked to be in the middle of his twenties, as least as far as mortals were concerned.

"Hello", Niall greeted, gesturing towards as chair. "May I sit?"

Isaac's blue eyes widened as he saw Niall, alight with something that hadn't been there moments ago. "Of course", he said in a voice that was deeper than Niall had imagined it would sound.

Quietly, Niall took a seat, staring at Isaac the entire time. The mortal's discomfort was evident in how he fidgeted beneath Niall's golden stare.

"Do you frequent this place often?" Niall found himself asking, raising one mahogany colored brow.

Isaac inaudibly shook his head. "No, not truly. I've come tonight, but I have yet to find what it is I'm looking for."

"A friend, perhaps?" Niall provided cleverly. "Or a lover?"

Isaac blushed immensely, shaking his head and biting his full lip as if to hide the red of his cheeks. Isaac was preoccupied with his own embarrassment, meanwhile Niall couldn't stop staring at his plush mouth. "No, no", he stammered, "I was simply-"

"Shh", Niall whispered in a voice as soft as silk. "You're too tense… I do not mean to frighten."

When Isaac had visibly relaxed, Niall said, "Now, would you care to hear a secret?"

The younger male said, "Yes, of course."

Niall leaned in, close enough to hear Isaac's heart race and see his blue eyes deliriously widen. To hear the vibrations of his trembling lower lip and smell the sweet scent of mortal arousal. And then he paused when his lips were pressed just below the boy's ear and said, "I can be either if you want me to be."

At that, Isaac audibly swallowed, and a low sound escaped his throat that made Niall hungry inside. Niall knew that he had the mortal right where he wanted him; flustered and aroused. So when Niall slowly wrapped his fingers around the mortal's slender hand and pulled him to his feet, Isaac silently obeyed, despite the unformed protests in his throat.

"Worry not", Niall whispered huskily as he lead Isaac away from the den of people and to the door that lead to the back of the tavern. "You will have naught to regret. I assure you."

The mortal just smiled at Niall shyly, strands of messy brown hair falling into his face as the night breeze ruffled the locks. But despite his own fragile nerves, he seemed to believe Niall's every word.

And when Niall pressed the mortal's body to the cool stone wall of the tavern Isaac moaned complacently, lost in the feel of Niall's fingers along his face and his full mouth along his neck. He accepted the hot taste of Niall's breath on the inside of mouth, Niall's scalding tongue making Isaac's knees weak with every caress. Isaac reveled the scent of Niall permeating through him, invading his nostrils and tender skin. It was euphoric.

And then when Niall spun him around so quickly that his cheek and chest were pressed to the cool wall, Isaac completely opened himself up to the strange man who had promised him secrets and ecstasy. Then he felt a tugging down of his breeches and felt the wind on his skin, blowing away his worries as quickly as Niall's touches had. And then, in the silence of the night, there was only pure euphoria again as Niall entered him.

Isaac let out a moan as Niall slowly took him from behind, rocking into him in ways no one had ever done before. Holding his hips and hitting him in places he never knew existed. The feeling was indescribable.

And alas, the mortal's cries filled the dry night air, filling Niall's beating ears with a sound he'd come to revere. And as the cries spilled from Isaac's pouty lips and as Niall held their hips firmly in place, all he could feel was a sense of completion, not due to the boy he was possibly deflowering behind a tavern. No never that.

The completion he felt was in knowing that for however long this pleasure lasted, he wouldn't have to feel so alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's a really important third chapter! I took liberties with this one by attempting to recreate it from Ink Exchange- or rather explain how it came into being. I also use some actual dialogue from the book interspersed with my own writing. So please REVIEW! I real really want to know what you think about this one! Also, Melissa Marr owns all of this wonder and enchantment; I simply like to write about her tales. Thanks for the reviews so far!**

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Irial was in the shadow of a tree again, watching the gancanagh emerge from the back of the tavern. His trousers were undone, his shirt held closed by a single clasp. On his face was an odd bleakness, one that seemed misplaced given the pleasure he'd just felt. So too, were his conflicting emotions. Irial tasted helplessness, anger, fear, and an insatiable lust that was tinged with weariness.

_What an odd creature_, Irial noted.

Niall then looked once towards to the back of the tavern, where he had ravenously taken the boy moments prior. Was that longing Irial sensed in those tortured eyes? A series of expressions crossed his handsome face that Irial couldn't quite name.

And then, as if nothing of interest had occurred, Niall walked away, passing the tavern's lit windows with long strides, moving towards the darkening forest again.

_Did he have no dwelling?_ Irial curiously wondered. _No place to call his own? _

If not, Irial felt badly for the boy. _The world could be a very cruel place to a lone faery. _Irial himself knew how it felt to be alone for quite some time. Far more intimately than he should, were he being honest with himself.

_I have Gabriel_, Irial admitted sadly as if to quell his unpleasant thoughts, _but even he isn't my true companion_. Not in every sense of the word. He was Irial's fighter, his protector, and his most trustworthy (only) friend, but selfishly, that still wasn't enough.

_Even now I feel the solitude._

True companionship was what Irial really desired; someone to call his own, who would love him unconditionally, despite who and what he was. Tendrils of longing filled him as he watched the fey boy stalk off into the darkness- no doubt in search of more mortal flesh.

_Does coitus make him feel safe? Dull out all the pain? _Irial wondered._ And oh, what pain laces those pretty features._

That would explain his nomadic, solitary nature. Never getting too close. Always at a distance from those he coveted, despite the skin shared. Yet Irial saw beneath the lascivious nature of the gancanagh boy an unsettling kind of innocence; a naïveté and yearning to be loved- be the lovers mortal or fey.

Niall was the perfect combination of wanton sin and unfathomable purity. Like shards of broken glass or a heavy rain, he was lovely and wicked at the same time. A lovely piece of art that had yet to know its true value.

_Yes_, Irial thought eagerly. I quite want to know this gancanagh. This Niall. This beautifully fascinating boy who has not yet chosen a path of darkness or light.

But I cannot do so watching him wearily from the shadows, where he knows me not. I must introduce myself first.

_That would at least be the polite thing to do._

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Niall wasn't sure what was wrong with him of late.

He'd been bedding more mortals than he could recall, but that itself was not the issue. The problem was his lack of control around them. For a reason he couldn't understand, he found mortal men and women far more enthralling than fey. They were almost beastly in their sexual appetites, more resilient than fey ever could be. Their too-finite lives made them full of a desperation and a passion that was unmatched by any of the immortals.

He had an urge to accost them that almost negated anything else, save for what little he had left of his scruples. There was a need to absorb that passionate, desperate, warm energy into himself so as to not feel cold and alone anymore.

And so his unchecked fascination with mortals left him in his current debacle; with an unrelenting mortal woman who refused to end their little tryst.

Earlier, the girl had bared herself when she'd entered the wood, eager to give herself to him without Niall having to ask. Her bare skin was cut with innumerable scratches, but he hadn't thought to asked her where she had got them. No. There had been no talking when she first appeared to him, hungry for sex. Only raw need from both parties.

It wasn't the first time he'd bedded her, though. He'd given into her passions merely a week ago, when he first saw her bathing by the pond. But she'd never, ever been as aggressive as she was being now.

The woman, whose name he'd forgotten in the midst of passion, was currently shaking with the tremors of her most recent orgasm, her body pliant beneath his as she panted. Her auburn hair was a tangled mess of leaves and dirt from the forest floor they lay on, clumping and tangling on her scalp.

Niall looked down at her face: She wasn't pretty, not truly. In fact, her port looked rather emaciated. But that wasn't what he was after. It was her mortal spirit that did the trick. And that admission both excited and hollowed him.

As their breaths slowed and the euphoria faded, Niall began to disentangle himself from her tight embrace- only to watch her thin fingers defensively curl around his wrist when he tried to stand.

Niall impatiently met her glossy eyes, but calmly removed her fingers from his wrist nonetheless. Then he commenced pulling his trousers up his hips and buttoning what was left of his clawed at shirt.

"More", she cried suddenly, reaching for the buckle of his pants with impatient fingers.

"No", Niall chided, putting her hands at her sides. He strangely felt as if he were talking to a small child when she glared at him.

With a lunge, the woman grabbed his wrist again and tore his shirt open.

"Stop", he hissed, grabbing both of her hands in his. "Control yourself."

A low whine formed in her throat as she stared at him, her brown eyes hollow and piercing at the same time. It disconcerted him immensely.

Especially when she began to cry.

Hot, confused tears fell from the mortals eyes as she wept. Eyes that stared up at him as if he were the answer to all of her questions, as if his rejection pained her more than anything else.

She fidgeted uncomfortably, her fingers clawing at her own skin as she bit her lower lip until it bled. The quiet sobbing would not cease. She continued to grab at him, even as he shook her off.

"She's an affectionate thing", a clear voice said, cutting through the thick stench of mortal pity that filled the air.

That was when Niall noticed the dark-haired faery approaching from the darkness. The faery was of a similar height and port like Niall, his wide shoulders and tapered waist gracefully complimenting his unearthly beauty. A sleek, muscled torso was just visible beneath his half-buttoned shirt.

For a moment, Niall forgot how to breathe. The faery had raven black hair that touched his shoulders and features so ethereal, that they had to be carved from the gods. So stunned was he by the male before him that he forgot that the mortal was hastily trying to unfasten his breeches.

With deft fingers, Niall pulled her hand away and said, "She's been drinking, I suspect. She wasn't so aggressive last week."

"Indeed." Then the beautiful faery, with his full, inviting mouth let out a delicious, smooth laugh that made Niall swallow. "Like animals, aren't they?" he asked with a grin.

"Mortals?" he asked in a voice that didn't sound like his own. Then, drawn to the man for reasons he couldn't fully explain, Niall stepped closer to him, dodging the mortal's nimble hands as he did so. "They seem to hide it well enough at first… they change, though."

The beautiful faery laughed, and Niall truly enjoyed the sound. Then he pulled the weeping mortal girl into his arms and stepped closer to Niall, intentionally invading his space. His black eyes were alight danger and intrigue. "Maybe you're just irresistible", he whispered in a voiced that made Niall lightheaded.

Niall smoothed a hand over his shirt now that the mortal was contained, but it didn't stop the slight tremble of his lip as the faery's words slid over his skin. Then he glanced at the man before him. The girl was motionless in the other faery's grip. She stared unresponsively at both of them with glazed eyes, seemingly unconcerned with what was happening around her. The dark-haired faery caressed her motionless face with his thumb as he watched Niall.

Then he said, "I'm Irial." And nodding towards the path that lead to the mortal's village: "Perhaps we could take this one somewhere less… public."

Irial then proceeded to give Niall the most lascivious, sinful, intoxicating smile he'd ever seen. Niall's mouth went dry with need and a brief flash of terror and fear washed over him. His feelings were so tangled, he could barely comprehend them.

The other faery was nonplussed. Eying Niall hungrily, Irial licked his full lips and laughed. "Come now, Niall. I think you could use a bit of company, couldn't you?"

_Could I?_ Could he? Right now, could he walk off with strange faery he'd just met if only for a promise of passion?

Of course, a little voice inside of him shouted without delay, enraptured by the very sight of Irial. Enraptured by everything he stood for; the danger and intrigue and risk he was willing to let Niall be a part of.

_Company_ was what Irial'd asked for. Yes, Niall wanted companionship. Needed it. More than anything else.

So staring into those blackened eyes that were the color of pure darkness, Niall slowly assented, allowing a new liberation to wash over him. Then he surprised himself by grabbing the faery's free hand and leading him towards the silent mortal village.


	4. Chapter 4

**So here's chapter 4. It has LEMON-ness, so you've been warned. I won't say anything else about the chapter, but please REVIEW. Also, I'd appreciate REVIEWs for chapter 3 as well, since I'm not sure how that was received either. Enjoy!****  
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They arrived at a small, two-window shack that looked like it hadn't been used in decades. It had only one room, with a bed in the center that could accommodate two persons. Small, shuttered windows let in scarce amounts of moonlight, which partially illuminated the nearly darkened room. An unlit candle rested in a candelabrum to the right of the bed. A faint coating of dust layered most of the room.

As Niall stepped inside behind Irial and the mortal, he asked, "What is this place?"

Irial grinned once as he shut the door behind them, his black eyes twinkling. "It used to be a village pantry of sorts. Then it had been transformed into a modest home. That had been years ago, of course." Walking over to the feathered mattress with the mortal in tow, he paused to lie her down. Then he looked over his shoulder at Niall and said, "Now it belongs to no one."

Niall heard an enticing promise in those words, an invitation he knew he couldn't decline. With trepidation, Niall quietly approached the bed where the mortal lay, her glassy eyes watered with tears.

Irial was striking a match and lighting the solitary candle beside the bed.

Swallowing, Niall took a seat on the bed as well, watching the wick lowly come to life.

Then Irial, with mischievous eyes, turned to face Niall, the candlelight casting shadows along his cruel, handsome face.

Niall swallowed again when Irial slowly smiled at him, hunger in those dark eyes. _Why am I afraid? _Niall asked himself. _What have I to fear? _But oh, Niall knew he had so much to be weary of: the beautiful man before him, who'd, without words, promised him pleasure. The darkness he sensed in those blackened eyes, in that enigmatic heart.

_My fears must simply be unjust._ It wasn't the first time he'd enticed a stranger, nor would it be his last. But… there was a dominance to Irial that frightened Niall in ways he refused to acknowledge. Irial was no ordinary passerby. No, this faery was the type to place himself into your heart and engulf you whole. There was no coming back from his all-consuming nature.

And Niall knew this, sensed it, but he did not try to leave. Not once.

He simply stared into those blackened eyes with parted lips, allowing himself to be sucked in by them.

He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Irial was standing much closer to him now, his thighs hitting Niall's bent knees. Niall looked up at him, his lips unable to form coherent word. Then, without warning, Irial palmed a lock of Niall's hair with his thumb and forefinger. His eyes lingered on Niall's mouth.

Niall swallowed hard when Irial- letting go of the hair- cradled his face with both of his hands. His fingers were warm and firm against Niall's blushed skin, slowly stroking the contours of his cheeks.

Niall licked his lips when Irial tilted his head so that he met Irial's dark gaze. In a quiet voice, Irial said, "When I ravish you, I want my name on your lips."

At the dark, seductive command that came from Irial's mouth, Niall began to tremble, his heart racing. Before he could respond, however, Irial had already claimed Nialll's lips as his own. The faery's mouth was pure sin as he kissed Niall, coulds of lust slowly drowning Niall's thoughts. Irial showed no mercy as he swallowed Niall's tongue and breaths, nearly choking him with his hungry mouth.

Niall moaned low in his throat, unsure of the tangle of emotions simmering beneath his skin. Then Irial's hands weren't on his face anymore; they were on his shoulders, sliding the remnants of his torn shirt from his chest. Silky hands found the hem of his pants and slowly began to unfasten his breeches, leaving his head spinning.

So aroused, he couldn't bear it, Niall assisted him, his fingers working quickly to slide the fabric down his hips. Then Irial's hands were on his shoulders again, pressing him down onto the bed until they were chest-to-chest and Irial's delicious weight was between his legs.

Irial's mouth ventured down Niall's jaw and along his bare throat, suckling his sensitive skin. Niall moaned, his finding a handful of Irial's dark hair. Then, just as tantalizingly slowly, he was running his mouth along Niall's bare chest, licking downwards until he reached just below his navel. Niall watched with lidded eyes as Irial took his sex in his hand and tasted him with his full lips, his mouth doing things to Niall that he'd never felt before.

A strangled moan left Niall's throat as Irial swallowed him, his warm fingers splaying Niall's legs even wider over his wide shoulders. Shaking with a need, Niall closed his eyes, hisfingers clutching a handful of Irial's raven hair.

"My gods", he whispered with bated breath, lost in the feel of Irial's glorious mouth, of Irial's hands touching him hotly in places he hadn't imagined.

Then the pleasure stopped, and Irial was watching him with a lusty expression that gave him chills. The faery's dark eyes were heavily lidded with a dangerous kind of desire, a look of personal possession that was startling and fascinating all the same. A look no man had ever given him before.

But Niall had little time to dwell on that. The next thing he knew, Irial's own shirt was sliding to the ground, as were his trousers, and only then did Niall truly get a good look at the faery who'd flustered him. Irial had dark Celtic tattoos that covered a great portion his glorious body, twisting and elegantly spiraling along the taut, smooth skin of his arms and hips. Some were dark words, spelling out secrets in an old language Niall had never seen. Others were ritualistic runes and symbols that told a tale of sorts.

They were painstakingly beautiful.

Niall stared up in awe as Irial slowly lowered his mouth to his, his raven black hair spilling along Niall's chest. As Niall felt his weight press down onto him, he let out a satisfied sound that seemingly made Irial more hungry. With a growl, he devoured Niall's mouth, grinding his hard sex into Niall's achingly tender skin.

A mewl left Niall's mouth, making it hard for him to think coherently, especially when Irial spread his legs and placed them on either side of his tattooed hips. Then all Niall could see was Irial's beautiful face inches from his, with hard eyes the color of volcanic rock.

With labored breaths, the faery said, "Have you ever done it like this before?"

Niall's heart was drumming in his chest, his breaths hard. Irial was asking him if he'd ever been taken by a man before. Could he tell him the truth? Could he admit that the faery would be his first- in this way at least? Would Irial think less of him for it? Would he think him a naïve, silly boy?

Niall knew that he was not virginal by most standards; he'd bedded more than enough mortals. But no one had once bedded him. And that was what mattered, wasn't it?

With a dry throat and a small voice, Niall whispered, "No."

An unreadable expression crossed Irial's face as he looked down at Niall, but he said nothing cruel or mocking. Instead, he gently tasted Niall's lips, moving his hips in unison as he did so. Niall moaned against his mouth.

Then Niall felt a slight prick of pain from below, but tried not to panic. _He won't hurt me_. And despite having just met Irial, Niall was sure of his words. The pain increased as Irial slowly pushed into him more, but Niall bit his lip to hide his discomfort.

Aware of the pain he was causing, Irial sweetly kissed Niall's cheek and said, "I'm sorry, _a ghrá_. I know it hurts but it will get better. I promise."

Then he proceeded to slide in completely with a snap of his hips, eliciting a loud cry from Niall's lips. Tears prickled Niall's eyes, but he wouldn't shed them. _Not now. _His hands twisted into the sheets beneath them.

And then Irial began to move within him and his thoughts of pain entered a void. As the sharp pain reduced to a throbbing sensation, all he could feel was Irial- filling him up and making him whole again, his fast pounding making Niall's skin feverish as ecstasy washed over him.

Before Niall was aware of it, he was crying out; loud, incomprehensible, sensual noises he had never heard himself make. His eyes met Irial's darkened stare as the other faery took him quickly, Irial's hands on Niall's thighs.

Distantly, Niall was aware that the mortal girl was observing from her perch at the end of the mattress, watching the two of them with an unreadable expression. But he cared little.

All that mattered was Irial and his hot touch, freeing Niall from his own reserved spirit, opening him for all to see.

As Irial struck him hard again, Niall whispered, "Irial, take me", only to be rewarded immensely by the request. Irial too, had begun to moan, low, sensual sounds in his throat that made Niall go limp with pleasure.

Then, Niall could sense that familiar feeling blooming in the pit of his belly, taking hold of him. The heat bloomed as Irial continued to pound, and pound, and pound. And then, after one last powerful thrust, Niall heard himself crying out as he came the hardest he ever had, Irial's name on his lips.

By this time, they were both drenched in sweat, eyes glazed. Irial was staring down at him with something between awe and affection, his black hair stuck to his face. And Niall was trembling from his orgasm, staring up at him in disbelief, unable to feel his body.

"What are you?" he whispered in a voice that sounded naïve, even to him.

Irial merely smiled, his mouth a slight tug, "Yours", he replied.

Then, lying down beside Niall and cradling him in an embrace, he whispered, "For however long you'll have me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's chapter 5. It's a bit short, but I still think you'll like it! REVIEW and enjoy!**

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Niall awoke to scarce sunlight streaming from the shuttered windows, rays warming his nude skin. He was still lying on the quaint mattress, his face resting on a pillow that faintly smelled like _him_.

_Irial._

And then Niall's eyes widened when he realized that Irial was no longer present. Nor was the mortal. The small room was empty, save for Niall.

Without wanting to, Niall felt an unknown sadness creeping into him. _Irial's not here. Though why did I expect him to be? _he chided._ He has no obligations to me… no reason to stay. _Despite those empty words spoken before they both slept, Niall had still known that Irial wasn't truly his. Certainly not however long Niall would have him. They were lies told by a manipulative man in order to gain a young boy's trust.

Niall shook his head. _And I had trusted him. Far more than I should have._

But why did it matter? Nothing particularly special had occurred. _What happened last night could have happened with anyone… _Niall thought lamely.

But it didn't. And Niall knew that, even though he hated to admit it. Irial wasn't just anyone.

Niall felt somewhat vulnerable as that feeling of loneliness sank in, and then he felt like a fool for thinking that a man like Irial would fancy being in the company with someone like Niall. Someone who spent his mornings and evenings bedding mortals because he was soulless and hollow and empty.

A naïve boy who'd given a complete stranger a piece of himself just to feel loved.

Niall shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. _What's done is done_, he reasoned. _I shouldn't weep over someone I barely knew to begin with_.

With lethargic hands, Niall stood up and pulled on his breeches. He reached down for his shirt, which was torn and disheveled, and managed to hold it to his body with a single button. Then he turned to the small, dusted mirror just above the candelabrum. With a swipe of his hand, he removed the layer of grime. His reflection stared back at him.

His eyes were red, as if he were going to cry. _Never_, he swore. _Never shall I cry for him. For anyone. Not again._

Instead, he abruptly turned from the mirror and ran a hand through his hair. It was tangled from his night with Irial. Niall could remember his intoxicating scent, filling his nose, heady on his tongue. The way he drew a sound from Niall's lips with every touch.

It was then, in the midst of his thoughts, when Niall spotted a piece of parchment discreetly placed beneath the base of the candelabrum. Cautiously, so as not to tear it, Niall slid it from underneath and read aloud:

_Niall, My Sweet. If you are reading this, then I know you just as well as I thought (that quite amuses me, I must confess). I do, however, apologize for my leave of absence so very soon. Complications arose and I had to bid you adieu, despite how much it pained me to do so. Though worry not; I will see you again. I will come for you tonight, if you'd prefer. At the first light of the waking moon._

_Yet, if you are impatient in your endeavors and would rather not wait, then I will tell you where you can find me. Simply go to largest willow tree within the province (I am sure you know of it, as most fey do). There, you will find several fey who are guardsmen of sorts. Tell them your name and that you wish to see Irial, and they will guide you to where I am._

_I really do look forward to seeing you again, Gancanagh…_

_-Sincerely, Your Gracious Lover, Irial_

Unable to contain his feelings, Niall reread the letter. This cannot be a ruse, can it? Surely Irial would not entice him with such a well-written letter only to mock him in return?

_There is only one way to find out_, a small voice crooned to him, doing away with what was left of his reason. Opening the door of the pantry, he stepped out into the warm spring sun. Mortals were out and about, enjoying the fresh air and crisp breeze.

Then Niall, diverging from the mortal paths of the village, headed towards the Great Willow.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is relatively short, but hopefully it'll give you a sense of where the story is headed. Thanks for all the comments and please continue to REVIEW!**

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The crisp morning sun was an unwanted surprise as Irial gazed out of the overlarge window. It was a sudden divergence from the unholy rain that had been falling of late, and he wasn't completely sure he disliked it, despite how bright it was.

Yet, the weather wasn't truly what had been haunting him for these past hours. In all honesty, he could care less about the morning sun or the change in cool rain or even the newly blossoming flowers that were no doubt the result of Summer's reign.

There was one thing on his mind as he retreated back to the solitude of his bed, and his name was Niall. Irial inhaled. _Niall. So beautiful and dangerous, even if he didn't know it. _Irial had not expected to grow so fond of the boy. Had not expected the desire he felt to tend to his every beck and call. But alas, Niall had managed to undo him somehow with his beauty and exquisiteness and raw innocence that could not be mimicked.

Irial remembered the look in the boy's eyes as he gave in to Irial completely, his hard body pliant and ripe beneath Irial's own, ready to be taken. The look in those brown eyes had truly been what undid him; the utter trust and lack of restraint they had shown spoke volumes.

And as Irial lay on his bed, he wanted nothing more than to taste those soft, pink lips, feel them on his throat, venturing lower…farther down his hips, wrapped around his… Irial paused. It was too soon for that. Way too soon. There would be a time when the boy was completely his, waiting to taste him- but that would take more time than Irial truthfully wanted to wait.

Especially since he had no guarantee that Niall would actually want to see him again, despite the note he'd left hours prior. A sudden panic rushed Irial at once. _What if he did not enjoy the night s much as I'd thought? What if he doesn't choose to find me? Then what will I do?_ Irial was at a loss. He'd written the letter and left rashly with the notion that the Gancanagh would be seeking him out again, wishing to see the Dark King, But what if he was wrong?

Irial shook his head, completely deferring the thought. Niall would come for him some time during the day. And if he did not, Irial would seek him out instead, just as the note had implied.

Then, pulling himself into bed, Irial rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. He was already sleep deprived and it wasn't even noon yet. He blamed his own lack of sleep on the events that transpired while he was still with Niall in the pantry, sleeping in his arms after their love-making. While resting with his lover beside him, Irial had heard an abrupt knocking at the pantry door, just loud enough to wake him. He'd known without a doubt that Gabriel was on the opposite side with urgent news. The Hound would never interrupt his bedtime activities unless there was something important to be said or done. So as much as it had pained him to do so, Irial untangled himself from the sleeping faery and dressed with haste.

Then Gabriel had told him rumors of a possible threat to the Court; a group of violent refugees that had rebelled against him and had broken away from Court affairs. Gabriel had claimed that they didn't fear authority and that they'd been randomly- and brutally- attacking fey in the wood for some time now. When Irial asked why he hadn't been told sooner, Gabe had replied that the dissenters had been very quiet about their activities up until recently. They always killed their victims and they never left behind any witnesses.

They were clever in their schemes, no doubt, but Irial refused to accept mutiny. Not from any of his Court.

More tired than ever, Irial chose to go to sleep just then, since he felt like the weight of his own mind was pulling him down. Too many anxious thoughts were fluttering away at him, like caged wing-things. His Gancanagh would come find him, and the mutinous Dark fey would be put down for their insurrection. _And all would be fine_, Irial reasoned sleepily.

He prayed to the gods he was right.


	7. Chapter 7

**So here's the next chapter. Last month was really terrible guys (emotionally and stressfully), so I'm sorry I didn't get this posted a soon as I'd planned. _This_ was the epitome of writer's block. Now that it's out of the way, I'm already onto the next chapter. So please keep reading and REVIEW to let me know what you think**

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Niall had been walking for some time in the wood when he heard the hollowed sound of female weeping. Or at least it sounded like such. It was a low, grieving whine that reminded him strangely of a wounded animal. And the sound, so strange and unsettling to his hears, was winding its way through the forest, almost beckoning him further.

Tilting his head in the direction of the echo, Niall acutely tuned in to the muffled whine, unsure of its origin. A cool breeze reddened his cheeks and rustled his hair as he stared westward. The sun bright sun was hiding behind an array of clouds.

Niall cautiously took a step in the direction of the noise, his muscles tight, his body on edge. _Shall I go see?_ He wondered.

Not along ago, Niall had set off for the Great Willow hoping to find Irial, hoping to see and taste and feel the strangely captivating faery again. Images of the previous night danced behind Niall's eyes; Irial holding his pliant body with strong arms, running tender caresses on his aching skin. The sound of labored breaths and heady moans as Irial played his body with and almost musical precision…

Niall shook his head once, trying to refocus on the issue at hand, but found it extremely difficult. Thoughts of Irial were hazing his mind, making him want to be nearer to him with more intensity. And as another resounding cry pierced the midday air, Niall was tempted to simply continue going the way he'd planned to go, if not simply for fear of what awaited him if he pursued the foreign sound.

Yet he felt shamed to do so. To leave a potentially helpless, suffering woman to her demise was selfish and cowardly. _And I am no coward_, he assured himself. Not even Irial would be pleased to learn that Niall had neglected to help someone who was suffering in a time of need.

Staring up at the setting sun, Niall licked his suddenly dry lips and made his decision. Then he veered off the path to the Great Willow and followed weak sobs that echoed throughout the forest.

Niall followed the distant sounds to a shallow creek that ran through the middle of the woodland. There, on the edge of the creek, Niall spotted a girl. She was fey, with long black hair and eyes the color of cerise. She appeared to be fumbling with her hands, seemingly unsure of what to do with them. The whines she emitted did not abate, even as Niall approached her.

"Are you alright?" Niall whispered, reaching a hand out to stroke her shoulder.

Suddenly her eyes snapped towards him. Her screaming stopped. A strange smile worked its way onto her wide mouth. It made Niall uncomfortable.

Then, before Niall could comment on her sudden change in demeanor, he was knocked down by a sudden blow to the head. He hit the ground with a thud, the air leaving his lungs as he fell.

Niall drifted into a strange state of consciousness- not quite asleep but not quite awake either. Blinking with heavy eyes, Niall saw the sky above him, filled with clouds and a distant moon. It looked like it was going to rain soon. Then his view of the sky was obscured by a sinister male face, its features skewed by a mane of dark hair. Niall didn't miss the fiendish smirk on its face, though. Its mouth started moving.

"Well, look, dearies", it crooned in a low baritone. "He's awake."

Niall tried to swallow, but there was a lump in his throat. He tried to sit up, but his muscles were locked. Instead, he let out a small noise.

A second face appeared, also male, but it looked more curious than the first. "Ooh, he's a pretty one. Can I have the first taste?"

"No", another voice hissed." Aragon gets the first of the spoils. You know that, Thadeus."

Thadeus growled. "Fair enough."

Niall tried to speak, tried to do anything but listen to them speak so distastefully of him. "I know not what you seek", he rasped, staring at who he assumed to be the leader of the assembled fey with hard eyes.

The faery, whom he assumed to be Thadeus let out a hearty laugh. "He is an interesting one, is he not?" He turned to the group around him; they were also chuckling. "A ripe prize, this one. May the gods bless Avelia for procuring him."

Niall felt utterly helpless as they stood around him in their loose circle, laughing at his discomfort. His cheeks reddened and his jaw grew taut. To Niall's chagrin, Thadeus took notice.

"I like the way you blush, pet", he murmured, watching with a haughty grin as Niall's eyes narrowed into slits. His long fingers ran along the flesh of Niall's cheek, stroking languidly as one would a lover. Niall felt bile rise in his throat as the other faery's eyes traced the lines of his face. Finally the said, without concealing the malice in his voice, "Though not nearly as much as I like your mouth."

It was then, with those words ringing in his head,that Niall realized for the first time the immediate danger he was in. A fight, he'd been prepared for, even if he was immobile. Even if it meant them attacking him while he was helpless. But this, this was humiliating, and shameful, and meant to hurt him to his very being. Niall could barely stop his lips from quivering or his voice from shaking when he said, "I have no business with you or your kind. If you set me fr-"

In a flash the faery's fingers were bruisingly tight as they gripped Niall by the jaw, forcing their eyes to meet. "You've made _our kind_ your business, Solitary. Now be quiet. We have no intentions of setting you free."

"Please", Niall managed, hating how afraid he sounded. "I have not what you seek."

Thadeus made no hesitation of grabbing a fistful of Niall's hair. Niall cried out. "Do not beg", he hissed, running his nose along Niall's jaw. "We're much harder on beggars than not. And you're much too pretty to tear apart."

Niall whimpered, trying desperately to move the muscles of his arms. He was unsuccessful.

"And", the faery continued, "What would Irial think if he found his whore begging?"

Niall's throat constricted with fear as he stared up into dark, monstrous eyes. _They knew Irial? How? Was he in danger? Was that truly why he'd left this morning? _Through the fear in his voice, Niall managed in the strongest voice he could, "Do _not_ hurt him. He hasn't done any-"

He was rewarded with a slap so hard he tasted his own blood. "Do _not_ speak of our king. You mean nothing to him", the faery hissed.

Suddenly, Thadeus was no longer sitting on his haunches beside Niall; he was straddling him. Niall felt the heavy weight on his abdomen and stifled a groan of pain. He glared at the faery the fiercest he was able, hoping to hide his fear.

The faery was peering down at him with dark, shimmering eyes, a slow smile creeping over his face. "I can almost see why he's fond of you. It really will be a shame to break his favorite toy." Then he preceded to tear open Niall's thin shirt, baring his chest to the elements. Niall felt vulnerable as the faery's eyes roamed up his body; his cheeks flushing redder with anger, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Let me go", he hissed, struggling again to move his arms as he started to regain more consciousness. As something thick cut into his wrist, he was suddenly aware that his arms were bound to the trunk of a tree.

He felt like screaming, but he didn't. He would not give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry.

"You are a feisty one, aren't you? Is that what he sees in you?"

Niall ignored him. "Release me", hehissed again, his anger truly surpassing his fear this time. Especially as Thadeus' hands raked along his chest with slow deliberation.

"Or what?" the other faery mocked, letting out a resounding laugh, pinning Niall with his dark eyes.

Niall really had no idea what would happen. He was immobile. Pinned to a tree. About to be brutalized by strange fey. There was no threat he could truly offer them. Instead he said, "Irial will kill you all."

That same sickly laughter escaped, and this time, Thadeus wasn't the only one mocking Niall's fear. The others were just as amused. Niall sucked in a breath, his face tight, when Thadeus suddenly began undoing his trousers. "Well, that would be a sight, would it not? But not before I finish defiling his pet. Is this how he likes you? On your back?"

Before Niall could respond, a fist was being slammed into his face. His head snapped to one side. Warm blood ran from his nose. He groaned, unable to form coherent words. Another blow landed across his cheekbone, effectively shattering it. Niall couldn't suppress his scream. The blows continued from there, seemingly from all directions, and Niall felt himself nearly blacking out from the pain. He remembered feeling cold inside, especially as he felt the tug of his breeches from violent hands.

Then there was a noise that seemed to make everything freeze in slow motion. The tugging stopped, the weight from his body was lifted, and all Niall could make out through bleary eyes were his captors utterly terrified and fleeing in the opposite direction.

Niall barely registered the deafening growl as it came closer to him. Nor did he make a sound when the ropes around his wrists were untied and two large hands lifted him from the grassy ground. All he felt was warmth as the large body cradled him gently, as if he were a babe. Niall smiled at that, though his mouth hurt. _Hmm, me, a babe. Though this does feel nice._

The chest smelled like woods and dirt and something strangely feral in nature. Niall managed to turn his head up once before he completely blacked out. Glowing green eyes glanced down at him.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. I'd written it a while ago, but I couldn't seem to figure out how to end it. So it needed tweaking. Anywho, here it is! Please REVIEW!**

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Niall awoke in a luxurious feathered bed beside a hearth. His eyes were still bleary and his lids still heavy, but he was fairly certain that he was safe. _Now, at least._ Flashes of what happened scraped at his mind, leaving him feeling raw and vulnerable and afraid. He chose not to dwell on what they would have done to him had they not been stopped by… by whom? Niall could barely remember his savior's face. All he remembered where two glowing green eyes-

"Niall? Niall, are you awake?" Niall turned his head in the direction of the shaky-albeit velvety- baritone voice. Irial was sitting on a duvet to the left of his bed, staring at him with pure concern and… something else Niall couldn't quite name.

In the reddened glow from the hearth, the faery looked just as beautiful as he'd been a night ago, when he'd lit the candle in the small pantry. His dark hair fell about his shoulders in an almost surreal way, shimmering like his eyes.

With bruised lips, Niall croaked, "Yes. For now."

Irial nodded once, exhaling. "Good. That is good." He clasped Niall's resting hand and intertwined their fingers. Then he brought the hand to his lips.

His mouth tingled Niall's skin. Niall cleared his throat and attempted to sit up.

Irial tsk-tsked him. In a gentle voice, he said, "You shouldn't move overmuch, love. You need time to heal."

Niall met his dark eyes. "You summoned healers?" Gods, his injuries must be worse than he thought.

Irial looked aghast. "Of course. You are rather injured when Gabriel found you; I would never risk your wellbeing."

"Gabriel?"

Irial looked a bit sad, but a smile played on his lips, as if for Niall's sake. "He is my fondest, most loyal friend. And protector", he added obliquely.

Niall tried not to look disappointed that this _Gabriel_ was closer to Irial's heart than Niall was. It was an inappropriate feeling, especially if the man in question had indeed saved Niall from those… monsters. He should be feeling gratitude; not jealousy.

Instead of speaking this aloud, Niall said, "I am forever in his debt."

Irial just clasped his hand more firmly around Niall's, holding it as if for guidance. Niall let him. Some time passed until Niall finally whispered, "The fey… they called you their "King". What do they mean, Irial?"

An odd look passed over Irial's face, one that seemed introverted and unlike the faery Niall thought he knew. "Pay their words no heed. You need not worry about them ever again."

Niall looked like he wanted to broach the subject, but Irial's haggard expression stopped him. Instead, he held on tighter to the warm hand in his grasp and tried to ease into the pillows. "I was on my way to see you", he admitted quietly, his voice sounding raw to his ears. "I feared I'd never see you again after that night."

Irial did not speak this time. But Niall felt those piercing eyes on his all the same. Then with even quieter words, Niall said, "While they… attacked me, they called me your whore." Niall paused, suddenly. Against his better judgment, he felt a sudden spring of tears to his eyes. _Stop._ He did not want to appear weak in front of Irial. "Is that what I am to you, Irial?"

He knew it was a terrible, terrible question. But the dreaded need to _know_ was far too strong. Irial was stunning and powerful and everything Niall was not and never could be. It made the faery question why this magnificent creature fancied him in the slightest.

Of all of the reactions Niall could have predicted, however, he did not expect this one. Irial's brows lowered and he looked absolutely livid. A vein leapt in his jaw. "Do _not_ heed them. They know nothing", he spat, looking Niall directly in the eyes. "They are a troubled lot, and will be dealt with soon enough. I promise you."

Then, stroking his knuckles along Niall's mouth, Irial said in a more tender voice, "There is nothing that matters to me more", Irial admitted. "You are more than I could have ever imagined."

Niall swallowed at Irial's declaration, his eyes wide. When a stupid tear escaped, Irial brushed it away with his thumb. Then the faery stood up and pressed a kiss to Niall's forehead, the warmth in his eyes astounding. "I shall return soon, love."

As he watched Irial go, Niall fought the urge to cry, his throat working oddly. Instead, he bit his lip and leaned back into the pillows, staring off at the cathedral-like celling.

No one had ever said he mattered, save for his mother.

When Irial left Niall in the healing room, he could barely think straight. His eyes were afire with rage and hostility, embers that stoked his veins and frazzled his mind until he was left breathing harshly. The idea that they had hurt what was his (_what was _going_ to be mine_, his mind hastily amended) that they had served in further tarnishing Niall's innocence was enough to make Irial want to find them all and torture them one-by-one. _The Court would enjoy that_, he thought darkly. _And it has been a long while since I engaged in a good torture._

Turning down the dimly lit corridor, Irial ran a hand through his hair and made a grimace that barely exceeded a scowl. He stopped suddenly when he spotted Gabriel leaning against one of the marble columns of the foyer, his eyes focused intently on outside's downpour.

The massive hound gave a slight tilt of the head upon hearing Irial's approach, his ears visibly alert.

"Two are in captivity. The others have escaped", he rumbled in a low baritone.

Irial cleared his throat, coming to stand beside Gabriel. "Of this, I am aware."

For a time, the two men stared at the rain, an untestable silence between them. The larger man titled his head in an acutely canine way. Irial strummed his fingers along his folded arms. Then Gabriel uttered, "He said your name."

Irial cut his gaze sharply to the hound, his eyes hard. "What?"

"The boy. He said your name before he fell unconscious."

Irial's jaw grew taut as an image of Niall bleeding and helpless flooded his thoughts. He remembered those overlarge honey eyes lazily meeting his in the bedroom, brimming with tears. In a voice that didn't sound like his own, he said, "For truth?"

"Of course."

Irial became increasingly aware of the rain beating the window. Of Gabriel's steady breathing. His throat was dry and his heartbeat quickened. The shadow from the stone column seemed far too dark. "Does he know…" he began unsurely, pausing once to look at Gabriel. "Does he know what I am? What we are?"

Gabriel shook his head slowly. "Not that I am aware."

Irial closed his eyes, unwilling to let Gabriel see just how relieved he was at that admission. Irial didn't want Niall to find out the truth about him- at least, not yet. Not when his Gancanagh was not yet _his_ to behold. _Not when Niall was so… fragile still. _Not when the truth was so very, very messy. More messy than Irial cared to admit- especially to Niall. Dark Court matters were always messy in nature, and Irial would hate for Niall to discover that he not only knew the monsters who'd maimed him, but that he ruled them. As Dark King. As the King of Nightmares.

Clearing his throat, Irial said, "He cannot know. Not now. Not so soon."

Gabriel merely nodded, his eyes his focused on the grayed sky and the miles of land that stretched beyond the Dark Court. Withered trees and black leaves. Then in his low, grumbled voice he mused, almost to himself, "Sentiment, Irial."

Irial could hear the smile in his voice- and he did not like it. The Dark King narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Gabriel?"

The hound remained unbristled by Irial's tone. "I see the way you look at this one… Differently than all the others. I fear what it means."

He gave Irial a pointed look, surprising the Dark King with its candidness. "Sentiment can be a derailment, Irial. You of all people know that."

Irial swallowed, his mouth a hard line. "I know that well enough", he muttered, unable to meet Gabriel's eyes. "I am not _infatuated_ with the boy like some young pup, Gabriel. I am the Dark King." Irial spat the word "infatuated" as if it were mercury on his tongue.

When Irial looked over, Gabriel's green eyes were visibly judging him, but- as if for Irial's sake- the hound didn't speak his judgments aloud. Instead he made a scornful noise in that rumbly chest of his and resumed looking at the cold glass window.

Irial grimaced, feeling oddly like a child who'd been scolded. "What would you have me do, Gabriel? Treat him coldly?" He hated how desperate and frustrated his voice sounded.

Gabriel's somber gaze remained on Irial, but he shrugged noncommittally. "In all of the time I've known you, Irial, you have never looked kindly upon another. Not truly. You have at times shown glimpses of fondness, you have sometimes spoken sweet words, but your perception of sentiment and its weakness has remained unchanged… until now. Your attachment to the boy outweighs your fondness for all others and you scarcely know him. It is odd, Irial. Very odd." _For a Dark King_, was left unsaid, but was heavily implied.

After the hound had spoken all there was to say, he turned to the glass and tapped it gently. "But…I cannot tell you how to be, My King. That is not a warrior' duty to his liege." Then the hound smiled once at Irial and walked down the long corridor.

Irial stood, staring at the paling sky and the pouring rain. Shadows danced along his face. And at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to see to Niall, to heal his wounds with his body, to ease his tears with a kiss. But that would further prove Gabriel's point, would it not?

Irial shut his eyes suddenly, overwhelmed by his thoughts. _I am an idiot. A bumbling fool. I should have never allowed this sentiment: He is not mine to keep…_

Irial turned away sharply from the glass, overcome with a strange emotion, feeling vulnerable and unlike himself. Gabriel was right. Irial knew this. He'd never once doubted the veracity of his advisor's observations. The Hound may be a fighter, but he was loyal and excruciatingly perceptive of all things.

Irial did not want to accept these truths, however. He did not want this _sentiment. _This _feeling. _He'd wanted Niall, yes. Since he'd first laid eyes on him many moons ago. He'd desired him, desired his profound innocence and precious spark of danger, and undeniable strength. But Irial's possessive- and rather unexplainable- concern for the boy was taking him entirely by surprise. And for once in a long, long while, Irial knew no remedy to his current debacle. Even though he despised it for its weakness. Sentiment, Gabriel had called it.

_Damn me_, he thought, pressing a hand to his forehead. _Damn me indeed._


	9. Chapter 9

**I know I'm an an asshole for not being good on updates, but I managed to crack this one out finally. Tell me what you think, please! And thanks for all of the REVIEWS on the previous chapters! You guys are awesome for putting up with me still.**

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When Irial returned to his bedchambers, emotions dancing like a spectrum behind his eyes, he'd been very much looking forward to finding Niall peacefully asleep in his bed- dark locks fanning out behind him in dreaming, lips parted in thought. Instead, the sight he stumbled upon was vastly different than that which he'd imagined.

Niall was no longer maudlin or teary-eyed as he'd first been when Irial had left him. Nor was he asleep- or in the bed for that matter. No, instead his Gancanaugh was moving frenetically, in the middle of tucking his undershirts into his trousers, and his boots were already laced, as if prepared for a long journey. His injuries had healed into angry bruises along his cheekbone and lips. His fingers shook slightly. Irial was too shocked to process the anger bubbling beneath the surface of his thoughts.

Indescribable emotions flitted across Niall's youthful face as he met Irial's bewildered gaze. Eyes the color of honey shone back at him nervously.

Allowing his tendrils of shadow to reach out, Irial tasted on Niall varying shades of anxiety and guilt, which alarmed him to no end.

Stepping further into the room, eyes tracking Niall's frozen form, Irial closes the door firmly behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to sound gentle but knowingly failing.

The ice seemed to melt away from Niall's stoic form; he straightened his shoulders and stood taller (a move that passively annoyed Irial, since they are both of the same height), no longer looking like a child who'd been caught stealing.

Clearing his throat, the boy said, "Leaving, if you don't mind."

Irial tilted his head, observing Niall's stance, the way his words have formed. He let Niall self-conciously fidget beneath his dark gaze. "What is this about, Niall? Have you forgotten that there are fey who wish to see you dead or worse? Why are you-"

"I very well know that, Irial", Niall admitted, his voice not quite what Irial would deem strong. "And you have been extremely kind to me. More than I can truly repay you for. Yet… I cannot stay here, not now, not so soon, not without knowing what this is." He paused, his brow low. "I do not expect you to understand. It is something I must do-"

"What do you mean by 'this'?" Irial asked, his eyes hard.

Niall startled. "This?"

"You said, 'not without knowing what this is'. To what are you referring?"

Niall swallowed, wetting his lips slightly. _Out of guilt? Fear? _Niall's emotional spectrum was fascinating to Irial, flickering from one feeling to the next; what he could taste on his tongue was bitter, tangy, and mesmerizing and had no name.

"I-" Niall paused. When Niall finally spoke again, his voice sounded oddly strangled. "This relationship we have. I do not know what to call it or how to name it, but I fear that it just may kill me, Irial. I… I do not fear death, but I would much rather understand its reasons for visiting my doorstep."

It took Irial a full minute to process what Niall had said. Then he replied, far too harshly, "You want to _leave_ because you're _afraid_? Even _after_ I promised to keep you safe from those… imbeciles?" His eyes burned with anger and underlying frustration and want because Niall- his Gancananaugh- could not be so foolish to doubt him. _Not now._

Niall visibly winced at the words flung at him, and for a moment, Irial regretted having spoken such angry words aloud. But then Niall retorted just as coldly, "I am not a child to be coddled or another one of your playthings, Irial. I've lived Solitary for more than I can remember, and I can protect myself without your help, I'm sure of it."

Feeling his anger become almost palpable now, Irial stepped closer to Niall, until their noses almost brushed. "I did not save you from those brutes to see you to run off", he ground out. Niall's scent was cloyingly thick, filling his nose and leaving his mouth dry. Brown eyes stared back firmly at him.

"This is not your decision, Irial. It is mine."

Panic was making Irial numb. His thoughts were muddled and his limbs were clay. Niall couldn't leave him. Not now, not when they'd come so very close. Streams of: _He'sminehecan'tleavemeyetnonono _raced through his mind. He had to make Niall see, he had to convince him to stay, convince him that he needn't worry, that Irial would kiss his fears away. But Niall looked determined and stubborn, as if nothing Irial said or did would change his decision; it was a choice he was proud of, one he'd spent possibly a long while having considered. _An immovable object._

Yet, as he stared back into Niall's stern, frustrated brown eyes, he could see the pain in them, the indecision, the fear and naïveté of a boy too young to understand all that he was feeling. And that's when Irial saw his opportunity. As terrible as Irial was, the thought of exploiting Niall's unseated emotions sounded wrong even to his own ears, but he knew that it must be done. Because as much as Irial hated further manipulating Niall, he was too strongly attached –_By what? Sentiment?-_ to simply watch him leave as if they never were.

"You would leave me?" Irial hissed in a wounded tone, motioning to Niall's still undone trousers, "Like this? Without a goodbye?"

Other fey wouldn't have noticed when Niall's eyes softened ever so slightly, when the strength in his voice evaporated into a sigh, the his fists unclenched. But Irial did. "What would you have me say, Irial?"

Irial did his best impression of a wounded animal, eyes big with concern and sadness and _sentiment_. "That you'll stay. That you won't leave me cold and alone, wondering for your safety."

Niall's visibly deep intake of breath spoke wonders. The Gancanagh bit his lips, looking oddly like he wanted to cry, despite having a stern expression. "I never wanted to hurt you", he whispered. "I- I just…" He trailed off, obviously confused, lost to his own thoughts and insecurities.

It was at that moment that Irial took his chance. Pulling Niall into his arms, he let the younger faery to sink into his embrace, allowing him to take comfort in Irial's breadth of chest and thudding heartbeat. Niall held him as one would an oak, as if Irial were all that kept him tethered to the world around them. "I'm sorry", Niall whispered, breath hot on Irial's throat. "It was foolish, but I was afraid-"

"Shh", Irial crooned, rubbing slow circles along Niall's steady back. "Don't worry yourself, Gancanagh."'

When Irial felt Niall nod slightly against his shoulder, hands tightening around his neck, Irial felt triumphant- _and like an utter bastard-_for coaxing Niall into his arms. But when Niall's nose began to lightly skim his jaw and lush lips began to hesitantly tug at the corner of his mouth, any guilt Irial might have felt was easily quelled. Only the feel of Niall's hot skin beneath his palms, in his mouth, and along his body mattered.

He wasn't sure when they'd made it to the bed or if they had at all. Or when clothing had grown too bothersome and they'd shed their underthings. Irial found himself silencing Niall's apologies with his tongue, hot breath on hot breath, limbs tangled on the carpeted floor, the two of them rutting like beasts.

Irial had Niall's long body pinned beneath his, grinding into him, licking, tugging, biting at the flesh of his throat, grabbing handfuls of his delicate hair with both hands. Niall fighting back just as hard, but never enough. _Never, ever enough_. Niall's cries of ecstasy pierced the veil of night as Irial pounded into him, marking him, searing his name into his flush skin. When they both orgasmed, Irial's eyes blurred and he moaned into the side of Niall's throat, sweat-covered, but pleased.

Niall, exhausted and spent, tucked into Irial's side, and for a long while they held one another. There was no more talk of leaving or of insecurity. For a time immeasurable Niall rested his eyes as Irial watched the candlelight flicker in the reflection of the ceiling chandelier. His fingers idly played with a lock of Niall's hair.

The feeling was timeless, calming, soothing, a lie made manifest by their own willingness to accept illusions. It gave Irial hope, albeit false, that they could remain this way forever.


End file.
